I'll Show You Fear
by Kalum16
Summary: When Courage and the Bagges get lost, they stumble upon a house whose owner offers them Shelter. Here Courage will learn the true meaning of fear?
1. Chapter 1

_Nobody noticed the house when it first appeared._

 _It was almost like it had come out of thin air. Before the space was like nearly every space in Nowhere, just another dry patch of sand that was part of the ever stretching desert that mostly made up the 'town'._

 _Then one day, poof! A house was there, an anomaly in the natural peace. But then again who would actually care to question the house? Certainly not the odd, extremely unlikely, driver too perplexed by the one fly that didn't fry to a crisp the moment it hit the windscreen._

 _The house was normal enough; a large exterior of pale brick , with the width of three pick up trucks and the length of six. Four windows, two for each floor, would create sign of life, even if the curtains behind them weren't always drawn. A wooden door set at the bottom centre, its dark paint forming a thick contrast against the white materials it was framed into. It didn't stand out from any other house making up the scarce population._

 _There was no reason to suspect anything against the residents, the spare few who passed the house only cared enough to question the sanity of the poor fool who, even for Nowhere's standards, had placed his house in an uncomfortably deserted area._

 _Besides, the closed curtains were still the only sign of life._

 _Nobody had seen the actual owner of the house, if there were any to begin with. There had never even been a glimpse of flesh or shadow inside the building, nor a sight of any type of creature step beyond the door. It was truly a mystery for those who stopped to care._

 _But, in Nowhere, no one did._

 _…_

Another crash of thunder sent Courage's face into the soft dress. His teeth chattered like hail against a window as he desperately tried to drown the roar of the storm. Muriel tenderly ran her fingers through Courage's fur, instinctively trying to soothe the fears of her precious pet.

"There, there Courage." Muriel cooed, wagging her finger playfully against the dog's ear, "We'll be home soon enough, and then I'll make you a nice hot chocolate." She felt Courage settle slightly before a rough voice sent him shaking again.

"Bah! That is if we even make it home!" Eustace spat as he squinted at the windscreen. A thick fog was shrouding his truck as it roughly bumped on the highway. Even the strong glow of his headlights barely formed more than the outline of the road that seemed to dig deeper into the blue mist.

Courage's eyes widened as he saw the wisps of fog, like claws on a window, edge around the car sinisterly. It didn't make any sense to the dog; when the family left, just under five hours ago, the weather had been glorious. A golden afternoon sun had drifted across the clear sky, basking the Earth in a mellow temperature that was neither too hot nor too cold. It was a wonderful time for the family to go shopping.

But, as soon as the groceries were packed, the beautiful light darkened as a storm of murky clouds surfaced over the sky, hiding the sun's glow behind a somber atmosphere. The mild warmth immediately discarding with an icy chill that bit at the bones of the unfortunate trio. Still, Courage didn't mind the cold; with Eustace as his master, the chill of the night was a familiar feeling.

Now the _thunder_ and _lightning_ however. That _did_ bother Courage. A lot.

Muriel scowled at her husband, "Oh don't be daft Eustace." She snapped, "How hard is it to drive down the only road in Nowhere."

"The road ain't the issue woman!" The old man hollered, "It's the fact I can't see a stinking inch beyond it!" Courage buried his head further into Muriel's lap; he knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Well maybe if you'd paid better attention to the weather report," Muriel scolded, "You could've been prepared!"

Eustace growled bitterly, "You're the one who whined," His rough pitch increased mockingly, " 'Oh Eustace, blah blah blah, we need to get groceries this instant, blah blah blah'." He laughed at his imitation while Muriel's scowl deepened. The small dog braced himself; Muriel didn't get angry often, but when she did her temper could make the devil himself flinch.

"Oh, excuse me! Would you have liked to have gone without supper?!"

"I would _love_ if ya could shut your yap so I can focus on getting us home!"

Muriel's hand left courage to reach into the depths of her hand bag, rummaging around violently before emerging triumphantly with her weapon. Eustace let out a yell as he saw the blunt rolling pin be swung into the air, and-

* **CRASH!*BOOM!*** The three figures froze in fright as the storm rumbled and blasted a silver crack across the smog, flashing the car with a blazing gleam.

That is, froze for around three seconds.

"AHHHHH!" Courage leapt into the air with a scream, his paws desperately grabbing for someone to latch onto, which unfortunately became the face of Eustace. The farmer's head was immediately pulled into the body of the screeching dog, the shivering body coating his sight with a mass of pink fur.

"Stupid dog!" The old man roared, his hands twitching furiously on the wheel as he fought for control. "You're gonna make us crash!" His yelling fell on ears refusing to listen, the paws in fact tightening around the man's temple. Courage shut his eyes tightly, grasping his master for a form of comfort despite the outraged demands. He couldn't help it.

Thunder. It was one of the dog's worst fears. Not necessarily because it usually indicated a storm. Those didn't scare Courage. But the noise. That _terrible_ roar. So massive yet so distant.

Almost like the engine of a rocket.

Courage didn't open his eyes but he felt the car's frenzied turns, shifted with the bumping of ground that wasn't road. He ignored all words outside his shield of solitude, even the gentle pleads of Muriel. Not even her affection could cure the trauma that haunted Courage's memories.

Eventually the words stopped, but Courage soon felt two hands pry themselves underneath his paws. At first Courage's tight grip didn't loosen; but as his strength shifted to his paws, his legs loosened around Eustace's neck. The old man immediately stole the moment and roughly gripped Courage by the scruff of his neck; one harsh tug was all it took to remove the squirming animal.

With a bitter scoff from Eustace, the dog was painfully flung to the other side of the truck, luckily landing into the tender arms of Muriel. Courage instantly backed into her warm body, his eyes opening to meet her worried, but friendly, smile. The woman gently stroked the dog's head, letting him relax in her lap; she knew that Courage hated thunder, not too sure why, but she knew to comfort him when in these states.

"Oh Courage," she soothed, "It's okay, I'm here. It was just a bit of thunder." She let her fingers dance under Courage's chin, making the pup smile weakly. "Everything's just fine."

"Fine?! That mutt nearly got us killed!" Eustace bellowed, his eyes blazing with disgusted fury. "We could've crashed because of his stupid screaming!"

Muriel grimaced as Courage flinched at the feeling that he was in trouble, "Now Eustace, just calm down." She wasn't in the mood to argue, Courage was upset enough already. "We didn't crash, did we? So let's just leave Courage be."

The farmer glowered under his spectacles, "We may not have crashed," He drawled venomously, "But could ya tell me, where the heck we are?!"

Muriel blinked, before both her and Courage averted their eyes to the road. Or where the road should have been. A jolt of panic ran up their spines. The outline of the road was gone, instead the truck's headlights illuminated the familiar sight of Nowhere sand. Not even a large area of sand at that! Not that it would have helped in Nowhere.

"Oh dear…" Muriel breathed. It was bad news if they were lost in Nowhere, especially at night. Courage cringed at the hint of worry in her tone. "Can't you find the highway again." She turned hopefully to her husband.

Eustace scoffed, "In this? It'd be easier ta win the lousy lottery!"

Courage felt a wave of guilt wash across his stomach as he felt Muriel's posture deflate in defeat. He hadn't meant to get them lost, and he certainly hadn't meant to make Muriel upset. It was just, thunder was a special case for him. The dog shook his head sorrowfully, that wasn't a worthy reason. He'd upset the woman who'd took him in. The angel who'd saved his life when he was just an orphan puppy, and he'd upset her. He was a bad dog, a very bad dog.

Muriel sighed, "So what now?"

Eustace grumbled sourly, "Won't do no good to waste gas on trying ta find the road." He mused. "We'll have ta keep going forward until we find someplace ta wait the night out."

The woman lounged back in her seat, "That does sound like the best solution," She returned to petting Courage in order to calm herself. "Though I can't think of many motel's or shelter's around here anymore."

Eustace sighed also, though his was evident with irritation. "Yeah, well it's our best bet thanks to that stupid dog!" Courage sank further with shame, he couldn't bring himself to find the farmer as just being cruel this time.

Muriel noticed the dog's disheartened look and directly went back to stroking him, "Oh don't worry Courage," she simpered, her hand settling into his fur. "I'm sure we'll find somewhere to spend the night; just because the town's called Nowhere it doesn't mean there's nobody!"

Courage smiled sadly up at Muriel; even when he was an inconvenience for her, she never lost her temper with him. She was just that good to him. The feeling of her fingers gingerly running along his back deterred his guilt slightly, but the fact of his fault in the matter still remained at the back of his mind, taunting and mocking his cowardice.

"Why don't you just have a nice rest Courage?" Muriel pressed with a grin, her fingers tickling the back of the dog's head. "We'll be in a nice warm hotel by the time you wake up."

"Yeh, it'll keep ya quiet, you stupid mutt!" Eustace snarled, his eyes burning on Courage's skin. "And that'll keep us from crashing!" One death glare from Muriel made him shut up.

Courage didn't even listen to the cruel retort; Muriel's offer had reminded the dog just how tired he was. He _was_ normally asleep by this time. Courage yawned drowsily, his eyes blurring as his mind began to shut down. His weariness was only fuelled by the tender feel of a warm hand rubbing against his snout. Soon enough, darkness, a welcome one this time, began to cloud his vision and then the dog let the isolated peace of sleep take him. The warmth of his owner acting as a pleasant sedative.

…

 _The scent was in the air._

 _His head shot up as the scent lingered into his nasal cavities. A hand fell to his face as the waft burnt against his brain and choked up his sarcophagus with a mass of bile._

 _He swallowed, letting out a pained sigh as he looked to the window. To the night. Somewhere in that thick black mass was the component that was emitting that disgraceful odour._

 _His eyes narrowed irritably. That simply wouldn't do._

 _As he closed his eyes he began to concentrate, focused his mind on the smell, on the night, trying to combine the factors into one. His eyes seemed to wander across the darkness as he directed his aim onto his target. He grit his teeth as his eyes picked up images stained with that elusive reek._

 _A pick up truck._

 _Three figures. One asleep._

 _Heading in his direction._

 _With his target found, his eyes shot open. A wounded sigh escaping his lips as he fought off that familiar pain. He smiled though, it was all worth it if he'd found the release of that odour. It was even coming directly towards him._

 _He let out a small laugh. Finally, after so long he was finally gonna have some fun._

 _No. Fun didn't matter. The lesson was the main thing._

 _Although._

 _A grin painted his lips as he remembered that one crucial word. One of them was asleep. He sank back in his chair as his thoughts were let loose again._

 _He could bare a little more pain for an early lesson._

 _…_

Courage gave a stretch as he woke up. A heavy yawn echoing in the car as his little arms shot outwards to relive his stiff muscles. He sank back in his seat lazily, he really had slept heavy in the small…

The dog's eyes widened. Why was he against the seat? He still saw the misty night through the dashboard glass. A small croak escaped the dog's throat, a squeak in fact; he turned his head swiftly.

Muriel wasn't there.

Courage shot upwards, his head arched to the left side of the truck, Eustace was gone as well! The dog spun around in his place, desperately searching for a trace of where his masters had gone. It made no sense! The seats looked untouched and Muriel's handbag was slumped at the top of her footwell; Courage whined in panic, she _never_ left without her bag! Unease dreaded the atmosphere like poisonous fumes, this just wasn't right, it wasn't normal.

Courage's teeth rattled like bullets as the terror washed further and further over him. Where had they gone? They wouldn't have just left, the outside showed no trace of any kind of shelter; they wouldn't have just gone off into the darkness, Courage knew that…Yet the thought still persisted. Courage felt his breaths soften, but increase in pace, he was so scared that his body wouldn't function normally. Tears began to well in his eyes as the isolated pressure began to build in his breathing, his throat beginning to close in as horror of helplessness began to set in.

The dark mist outside seemed to delight in the dog's sorrow, its haze enveloped the truck covering every inch with complete night. It swirled and consumed the narrow space around Courage, the mist stroking the truck like tendrils reaching for the neck of its prey. Courage sank deeper into the seat, his, still shaking, paws tucked into his body fiercely. The world was closing in on him, the darkness was beginning to cloud his vision, his breath was beginning to end along his hope. Courage's snivelling form curled up into a ball, blocking out the outside horrors. He sniffled as the tears began to stream down his snout, soaking Muriel's chair with his sorrow. Courage felt a sob cut off his fractured gasps, where was she? Why was there no trace of her? Why would she leave the truck?

How could he find her?

"COURAGE!" The scream jolted into Courage like a pin. He shook himself out of his state and listened carefully for the voice again. A small smile of relief came to Courage's cheeks, there was no mistake in the fragile voice, it was Muriel! It was coming from outside the car.

Not thinking twice about the darkness, Courage thrust the side door open; his ears hung in the air, attentively listening out for the voice again. Out from the darkness the voice of his master cried out.

"Courage, where are you?" Courage's ears twitched, it was coming from right ahead. Muriel was still okay! The dog swiftly stuck his paw into Muriel's bag, hastily reaching for his desired object. His paw emerged a second later with a small flashlight in hand, and, not thinking once about his natural fears, immediately swung the truck door open and sprinted into the night.

The flashlight barely helped in the murky dark, but it was better than nothing, it still offered an brief shimmer against the black canvas. Courage didn't slow his pace even when his throat began to sting from exhaustion, his love for Muriel was the strongest feeling in his being, and it slew through his fears like a sword. The light shimmered in the obscurity, only providing glimpses of the ever stretching sand, Courage refused to slow down though, Muriel was somewhere out there, he needed to find her!

Then the light flickered, Courage's breath halted. No, not now! It couldn't go out now! Courage, despite the pain in his side, rapidly increased his pace, if the torch stopped now it would be over for Muriel _and_ him. His feet tore through the frigid sand, his speed now rivalling that of a greyhound; the darkness closed around the flicker every time it cut, the night ever so slowly taking out the shine flicker by flicker. It circled Courage like the sight of a dying man, desperately holding on to that small ray of life before fading into the bleak reality of death. Courage didn't bother taking in the sight the light created anymore, he just needed to hurry up.

Then he slipped. His paw hit something slippery and his face fell painfully into the sandy floor. Courage grunted, spitting out a mouthful of sand before placing a hand to the sore spot that he was sure would form a bruise. A wet feeling then spread across his temple, Courage yipped in confusion, had he stepped into the rare case of a puddle. He picked up his flickering torch and directed it onto his paw.

He froze. Eyes widened in shock at the wet, red sight dripping from his paw. Courage's mouth hung in confusion, it wasn't possible, there was no way that brief fall had caused his head to bleed. Had there been a relic of nail or glass hidden beneath the sand? No, he would have felt it. He watched the crimson fluid flow down his arm before falling to the floor with a grisly drip, its bloody mess staining the pale floor with a gory mess. The sight sickened Courage, blood didn't scare him but it did make him uneasy, the thought of any bodily fluids actually grossed him out. It was just nauseating. Courage shuddered, he didn't have time for this, he needed to find Muriel. He picked himself back up again, tore his eyes from the disgusting sight, and shone the torch back into the desired direction.

Right into the eyes of Muriel, who lay on the ground, staring at him.

Courage gasped back in shock, but then the joy overwhelmed his senses. He had found her! She was safe! The dog rushed up to his beloved owner and threw his arms around her face, picking her up of the ground.

Wait. Courage felt his pupils dilate. Picked her _up off_ the ground?

Another droplet of liquid broke the silence, the familiar sound of blood soaking the floor. No, it was on Courage's foot this time. The fluid flailing down his shaking paws as the gore ran from Muriel's neck.

Or what was left of it.

Courage didn't bare to look at the mess, his eyes only went as far as Muriel's glasses, reflecting his broken stare back towards him. Although he did find, by staring long enough, he could just make out the blank stare of his dead owner.

Oddly enough, the dog didn't find himself screaming. That would be too normal a sound. Instead a croaked sob spat out, before transitioning into a pained chuckle, and then finally stopping at the wailing laughter of madness.

…

"Ha Ha, Courage wake up!" Muriel grinned shaking the small dog awake.

Courage's form contorted and his eyes broke open, they were red and raw, and the dog's mouth hung loose in a disbelieved gape. He looked up at Muriel slowly, taking in her presence before he reached a paw out to softy touch her dress. The recognisable feel of silk pressed against his paw, its soft material providing the equivalent of a hug. Courage looked up again at Muriel's face, her plain smile gleamed back at him.

"You look like you slept well," Muriel said, her smile broadening, "But don't be too energised now, we-" She was cut off when Courage threw himself into her chest, his face snuggled close into her belly. Muriel smiled and petted the dog softy on the head, failing to notice the difference in reason, Courage was always so loving towards her.

Courage took deep breaths, inhaling Muriel's scent for desperate proof she was there. The sweet smell of cookies and apples confirmed his hopes, and he tightened his grasp on the woman. That nightmare… Courage had had many in the past, some showing Muriel's demise, sometimes his own. But _that_ one felt so _vivid,_ so real. Every detail and image had burst with life like authenticity. Even the blood, Courage was certain he had felt cold crimson pour down his paw. He had sensed the isolation around him, normal nightmares had never made him feel so… _alone._

But it didn't matter. It couldn't. Muriel was alive, she was petting him, he felt her warm touch slide down his back. The nightmare had meant nothing!

Courage sighed contently as Muriel rubbed behind his ears, "Such a nice boy," Muriel cooed, "But look ahead Courage, we found ourselves some shelter!"

"Ya mean _I_ found us some shelter!" Eustace grumbled.

Courage yipped happily, they would be safe inside a motel soon! Things were only getting better! He jumped up from Muriel's lap to the dashboard and yet out a happy laugh. It was just a minute away. Yellow lights glimmered from the outline of windows spread across a small building. 'Too small to be a hotel.' Courage thought, but that didn't matter, any shelter was better than none.

Soon the building began to illuminate in the dark as the trio approached it. Courage was right, it wasn't a hotel, or motel for that matter.

it was just a house.

…

 **For anyone who reads this, I would like to say thank you.**

 **I hope I can make this story something that any 'Courage' fan will enjoy. This story is, in plan, meant to be the best story I could write for this fanbase. This is a story that I hope will entertain others through the various chapters planned.**

 **But most of all.**

 **This is a story about fear.**


	2. Chapter 2

The hand slammed roughly against the door, again. "Come on!" Eustace bellowed, "Open up, we're freezing out here!"

Both Courage and Muriel flinched at the old man's behaviour, this wasn't going well at all. Muriel took a hasty step towards her ranting husband and placed a careful hand on his shoulder.

"Eustace, please." She sighed, "The owner won't pay us any mind if you act like this."

Eustace scoffed, "Act like what?! A guy asking for shelter?"

"This isn't _asking_ Eustace, it's demanding!" Muriel scowled.

The old man growled, "Who cares? They just need ta get their lazy butts down here!" He went back to slamming his fist against the door.

Courage whined as he watched his owners bicker. He tucked his arms into his small body, trying to fight the frosty chill of the night. They'd been at the house's door for a few minutes now and, looking up, Courage could see no sign of the owners coming to their aid. Courage took a step back to get a full glimpse of the building, despite the thick darkness he could still make out a clear shape.

There didn't seem to be anything peculiar about the place, though with previous experiences Courage knew to not let that fool him, it was just an ordinary house not much bigger than his own. A two story base of brick with two windows set onto each floor. The dog exhaled with suspicious relief. Even the most innocent looking places couldn't give him a small waver of comfort.

Turns out many, _many_ near death experiences give that effect.

Courage shifted uncomfortably as Eustace began to scream obscenities at the top of his lungs, honestly it was like the man wanted the owner to ignore him, which is what seemed to be the case. The house still offered no glimmer of light, lying still and lifeless in front of the trio.

"Eustace, would you please stop this awful behaviour?" Muriel exclaimed, her head shaking sadly. "It's obvious no one's home." She sighed, already heading back to the car.

Eustace grumbled bitterly, "More like no one's answering!"

Muriel turned to him in a mixture of tiredness and anger, "With how you're acting, I don't blame them!" She placed a frail hand on Courage's head, "Come on Courage, it'll be warmer in the car."

Courage was split between feelings, he didn't want to be out in the cold anymore, but the house couldn't use be not occupied! It was past midnight for crying out loud! Someone had to be home. Still Courage didn't argue, that would only worsen the situation, and he simply followed suit to the _slightly_ warmer vehicle.

"WAITWAITWAIT!" Eustace suddenly burst out, "There's someone coming!" He cried triumphantly, "See for yourselves!" Muriel and Courage swiftly turned to the door, their exhaustion making way for joy as a thin yellow glow shot from the crack of the door. The pair immediately returned to the side of the grinning old man, a wave of relief soaking their hearts. From behind the door the creak of floorboards grew louder as the owner neared their unexpected visitors. Courage smiled as he heard the door give out a metallic click, and the handle began to turn. Soon they would all be in a nice warm house.

The door opened slightly, a orange beam of the inside illuminating against the dark of the night. A tired voice spoke from behind the door, "Who is this?" It was a male's voice, a young one at that.

Muriel spoke before her husband could ruin the chance, "Hello, terribly sorry to wake you at this time of night." She said, hoping to cease any ill feelings the owner might feel for their disturbance, "But me and my husband's car got lost from the road, and-"

"Let us in, will ya!" Eustace shot in rudely. "It's freezing out here!"

"Eustace, please be quiet!" Muriel hissed, her eyes casting daggers at the old man. Eustace just crossed his arms and grumbled about the cold under his breath.

"Look," The voice behind the door spoke, a frown evident in his tone. "The road isn't that far from here, just keep going west and you'll find it." Courage yelped as he noticed the door begin to close, "Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Wait!" Muriel's hand gripped the door desperately, she winced as she heard an irritated sigh from the owner. "Please! I immensely apologise for my husband's behaviour, I really do. But please, it's too dark to find the road now, we just need a place to stay a few hours."

The voice was silent for a moment, "Is there anyone else with you two?" Muriel beamed, he was considering it!

"Just our dog, Courage. But he's only a wee thing, won't take up much space at all." She was honest enough.

A minute of silence passed, save for Eustace's impatient groans, Muriel could only hope the owner would give in to her request. Courage drew himself close to her leg, offering a trace of comfort if they were denied entrance. Finally a sigh left the house and the dark space brightened with a bright glow. The trio shot back, wincing, their eyes not accustomed to the sudden change of lighting. Courage got it the worst, his eyes blurred and stung. He groaned as he rubbed them vigorously, trying to dim the blinding white that filled his vision. He was still rubbing as the voices spoke up again.

"Alright, you can stay a few hours, at least until sunset." The voice of the owner said, his tone tired and calm.

Courage heard Muriel's delighted sigh, "Oh, you're very kind. I promise we won't be a bother."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks. Just lemme in!" Eustace snapped.

"Hmm, is he always so grateful?" The owner muttered.

"I'm sorry, he's thankful inside, really!" Courage heard Muriel's voice grow fainter as she entered the house.

"So, dog." The voice said, making Courage flinch, "Are you coming in or not?"

Courage gave his eyes one final rub before blinking a few times. His vision was normal again. He turned to apologise to the owner and found himself staring at two long black legs. Courage drew his gaze upwards to the tall man, and instantly his breath caught.

'Oh please,' Courage pinched himself, the pain doubling with the realisation of reality. 'Anything, _anything_ but a cat.'

Two blue eyes stared downwards at him, piercing outwards from the black fur of the cat. Actually, everything about the cat was black; a plain dark shirt hung loosely on his body, almost unnoticeable is it weren't for the glow of the house. His face was well _catlike_ for the most part, not triangular and pointed like Katz, or as chubby and small as Kitty; he looked like the pet cats that Courage sometimes encountered on the street, well save the fact that he was incredibly tall and still walked like a human! His body was thin, but not under built, as his shoulders lay broad and defined. He stood with his arms crossed, giving Courage a tired frown as he waited for the dog to move.

"Hello? You there?" The cat spat impatiently, growing tired of the dog's wide eyed stare. "Ok then, I'll just leave you out here since you won't move!" He said already turning to close the door. Courage broke out of the trance, yelping, and quickly ran past the cat to get inside. He sighed as a mellow warmth took over the numb frost of the night, calming the dog slightly.

The cat gave out a laugh but he didn't smile, "Not one for first impressions aren't you." He said, closing the door. The night was now scarce as the glow of a hallway became the atmosphere. Courage smiled slightly, this _was_ better than the dark shroud of the night.

"Go through the last door on the left of the hallway," The cat muttered, locking the door again. "Your owners are in there leaving their things." In the bright hall, the cat's features were much more refined. His fur was as black as night, except for a few circular white streaks that covered his neck and wrists. Ocean blue eyes lay half lidded as they drew lazily over Courage's form. His lips in a tight line portraying no emotion.

The cat waved at the dog dismissively, "Go on." Courage whined suspiciously but he followed the request, walking down the desired door. It seemed to be a kitchen from the cooker and oven in the corner of the room; Muriel and Eustace stood near a large wooden table, taking off their coats and shoes. Both, including Eustace, wore a smile from the warmth of the room

"You can leave those on the table," The cat said, walking in behind Courage. He walked over to a kettle and switched it on. "And you can collect them in the morning." He turned to the trio. "Any of you like some coffee?"

Muriel smiled, "Oh no thank you."

"Nah." Eustace didn't even look at the cat, too occupied with removing his coat. "Just like a room if ya could!"

The cat rolled his eyes but didn't speak any ill will."There's a guest room upstairs, double bed." He said, watching the kettle boil and fizz. "Should be big enough for you two." He looked down at Courage, "You can use my bed if you want, I've got a sofa to sleep on."

Muriel answered for Courage, "You're very generous, but Courage normally sleeps at the foot of the bed. The cat looked at Courage for verification, the dog nodded with a sheepish smile. "If that's okay, of course."

The cat shrugged, "If that's comfortable for him, it's fine." His ear twitched as the kettle turned off, he picked up a mug off the counter and began to pour the steaming liquid.

Muriel beamed, "Thank you so much, Mr…" She paused and blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry, what was your name?"

The cat finished scooping coffee beans into the water and turned to Muriel with a small smile, "Dusk. Just Dusk will do." Courage raised a brow, what a strange name. Though, who was _he_ to talk.

Muriel extended her hand to the feline, "Very nice to meet you, Mr Dusk." The cat shook her hand carelessly before taking a sip of his coffee. "I'm Muriel Bagges, and this is my husband Eustace." Dusk extended his hand to the old man as well, but Eustace payed no mind as he nosily inspected the contents of one of the kitchen cupboards.

"Hmm, charmed." Dusk muttered, taking another gulp of coffee. He looked to Courage with a look almost resembling friendliness. "And you're…" He craned his head and snapped his fingers in triumph. "Courage, right!"

Courage smiled up at Dusk and nodded, the cat's friendly attitude had calmed all previous suspicions. "Uh huh!" The dog yipped.

Dusk grinned before leaning towards Courage to whisper, "Wanna trade names? Yours seems a lot more fitting!" Courage giggled at the joke, but still yelped when Dusk slapped him playfully on the back. "Ha, sorry there bud. But still, to get a name like that you must be a pretty brave guy!" He said nudging Courage with a fist on the arm. Courage laughed sheepishly but soon a much rougher laugh cut in.

"Brave? That spineless wreck!" Eustace chortled mockingly, "Fat chance! The only reason we're here is because he's such a coward!" Courage dipped his head dejectedly, he couldn't argue, it _was_ his fault.

"Oh hush Eustace," Muriel hissed bashing Eustace's temple with a nearby wooden spoon. The old man grabbed his head in pain, groaning about what he had done to provoke Muriel's wrath.

Strangely enough, Dusk didn't say anything. He looked hard at Eustace, as if processing the man's words. His mouth sat in a thing line and his stare was cold. Courage looked up at Dusk curiously, but unfortunately the, almost, glare was on him. Staring right into the dog's flesh. He drew back cautiously as the uncomfortable air began to sink in, the cat wasn't even blinking!

Finally Dusk let out a voice barely above a whisper, "Coward, eh." He chuckled to himself, humour hidden from the others as he took one final swig of his beverage. He sighed, setting the cup down, "Well that's a shame."

A chill ran up Courage's spine. He backed closer to Muriel, which unfortunately was noticed by the feline. "Hey, calm down will ya? I just mean there's a fair bit of thunder around here at night." He said with a warm smile, which only caused Courage to wince further. "And I would prefer if you didn't wake up screaming every few hours." He laughed innocently while walking out of the room.

"Right I'm going back to bed, your room's on the first right along the hall, you can't miss it." He said at the doorway, "If you need anything feel free to knock on my door, just the room next to yours!" He then turned and walked away, leaving the trio to themselves.

Silence was left in the room, uneasiness set after the abrupt change of mood. It didn't last long though.

"Nice going mutt!" Eustace snapped, still rubbing his sore head, "You made him uncomfortable!"

"Oh shut up!"

Another slam of wood on flesh caused a cry to break the silence.

…

Courage lay at the foot of the bed, listening to his owner's soft breaths as they embraced the sweet relief of sleep. Dusk was right, the bed certainly was big enough for the family, even bigger than their own bed. The room was pleasant as well, temperature not too hot or cold enough to cause any discomfort, and the walls were crackles and held no holes that could cause Courage fright.

Yet the dog was still terrified.

Thoughts of Dusk's cold stare plagued his mind like crows, the blank gaze haunting him as he imagined his two blue orbs observing him through every space of darkness. It just troubled the dog how quickly the cat's nature had shifted with just a few sentences, why had he gone from friendly to hostile in mere seconds? Nobody had said anything against the host, so why had Courage seen so much _offence_ in his gaze. It wasn't like the trio weren't thankful for his hospitality.

Courage widened his eyes, of course the cat must have been annoyed by Eustace. All the old man had shown Dusk was barely half hearted gratitude, he must have been offended that the man hadn't even bothered to thank him properly. Courage smiled, the cat must have been offended _for_ Courage when Eustace insulted him, that had to be it. Neither Courage nor Muriel showed any ungratefulness towards their host. At least, not intentionally.

Courage felt a twinge of guilt for his initial prejudice towards Dusk's species, but then again the only other cats he had met in his life had either beat him senseless or tried to kill him multiple times. Still though, Courage felt relieved that Dusk was an actual pleasant stranger, instead of a murderous feline with a cavalry of man eating spiders, that actually wanted to provide help to him and his family.

The security and warmth of the room now began to sink in as Courage's fears washed away. He sighed as his head fell into the soft duvet of the bed, his body curled into a ball that provided further comfort. His eyes began to close as he tucked himself further into the bed, ready for a well needed sleep.

Then a soft melody wavered across the air.

Courage opened one eye and let one ear rise. A muffled play of instruments came from the wall behind him, playing from what Dusk said to be his room. Normally Courage would have been irked by any disturbance while he rested, but the melody wasn't loud and ferocious, like the music Courage heard erupt from the teenagers he passed on the city streets, it was calm and harmonious, drifting across the room's mellow temperature like clouds.

It actually made Courage's tired eyes drop more heavily even when a low voice began to sing, or mumble, the lyrics.

 _over the moor, take me to the moor._

 _dig a shallow grave, and i'll lay me down._

 _over the moor, take me to the moor._

 _dig a shallow grave, and i'll lay me down._

The bleak lyrics should have made Courage uncomfortable but he was just too tired. Soft music and the singer's deep, mellow tone created a calm atmosphere that just contrasted against the mysterious, yet chilling, lyrics that began to follow.

 _oh Lesley-Anne, and your pretty, white beads._

 _oh John you'll never be a man._

 _and you'll never see your home again._

It was clear to Courage that the song wasn't Dusk's voice, the singer being obviously older than Dusk's light tone. The voice was most likely from a record, which was supported by several rough scratches that cut through the melody. The song was minimalistic with its melody, a low guitar riff repeating notes while a shallow drum beat pattered in the background. Vocals were the main instrument, and even then the voice was so soft that it lingered in the music like dust in the air.

Courage shivered from the sinister words, but it barely made a dent in his rest with the calming melody increasing Courage's drowsiness. The beat was just so quiet and weak that it was strangely soothing for the dog.

 _oh Manchester, so much to answer for._

 _Edward, see those alluring lights._

Courage could barely make out the next line, as he finally began to drift off, but just before his mind cut off he let the final words fill his mind. Acting as a final lullaby to his vast weariness.

 _tonight will be your very last night._

Courage would have screamed if he hadn't fallen asleep.

…

 **I don't own CTCD or the song featured in this story. Look it up if you want, but just know that it's linked to a previous evil.**


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